Links to history
WICHITA, Kan. – Winners of 11 of last 12 games, No. 1 men’s basketball program following a gritty comeback victory against league rival Cincinnati on Saturday afternoon inside the Fertitta Center in Houston. Freshman forward Jarace Walker amassed a career-high 25 points and junior point guard Jamal Shead unloaded a backflip to break a tie and give the Cougars the outright lead with 47 seconds left against the Bearcats. For his impressive performance, Walker was named the American Athletic Conference Freshman of the Week for the second consecutive season and the fifth time in 2022-23. It was the most weekly award by any Cougar in a single season since Aubrey Coleman was named Conference USA Player of the Week five times during the 2009-10 season. With Saturday’s win, the 2022-23 Cougars became the 29th team in school history to record a 20-win season. It was also the eighth straight 20-win season under head coach Kelvin Sampson, who is the only manager to lead the Cougars to five, six, seven, and now eight consecutive 20-win seasons. Senior guard Marcus Sasser continues to lead the Cougars and ranks among the leaders in the American Athletic Conference with 16.2 points and 1.8 steals per game and an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.15. The Dallas native was named to the Wooden Award Season-End Top 20 Watch List earlier this week. Walker is second on the team with 11.1 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. Junior forward J’Wan Roberts is third on team with 9.9 points per game and leads the Cougars with 7.0 rebounds per game. Through games on Jan. 30, Houston lead the nation in score margin (+20.5), is in second place in field goal defense percentage (35.2), is third in scoring defense (54.9ppg) and 3-point field goal percentage defense (26.8, 3rd), it ranks among the top 10 in the country in winning percentage (.909, 4th), turnovers (9.9, 6th) and turnover margin (+4.9, 9th), and it is in the top 20 in rebound margin (+7,8, 11), offensive rebound (13.2, 17) and assist-turnover ratio (1.47, 17).
TUNE IN
• Fans can watch Thursday’s match ESPN2 with John Schriffen (play-by-play) and Tim Welsh (analyst) calling the action. • Fans can listen to Thursday’s game 950 AM DPRK or the University network application with Jeremy Branham (play-by-play) calling the action. Pre-game show starts Thursday at 7:45pm. • Fans can follow live stats by visiting StatBroadcast. com and following the appropriate links or by clicking here.
BUY TICKETS 2022-23
Fans can purchase single-game tickets for the Cougars’ regular season home games inside the Fertitta Center. Supplies are limited and fans are encouraged to purchase before they run out. To purchase single-game tickets, fans may call the Athletics Box Office at 713-GO-COOGS (462-6647) during normal business hours or click here at any time. For the third consecutive season, the Cougars sold out of season tickets for their home games inside the Fertitta Center. Fans who were unable to purchase season tickets in 2022-23 are welcome to join the team’s 2023-24 waitlist as the Cougars prepare to make the Big 12 Conference. To sign up for the 2023-24 season ticket waitlist, fans can click here.
ON THE STATE OF WICHITA
• Wichita State leads an 11-10 overall record and 4-5 mark in American Athletic Conference action into 2022-23 in Thursday’s game. • The Shockers are joint sixth with UCF in the last league standings through January 30. • Wichita State maintains a 6-5 record in home games at Charles Koch Arena this season. • The Shockers won two of their last three games on Thursday, including an 85-72 victory at East Carolina on Sunday afternoon. Only a 95-90 home overtime loss to Tulane on Jan. 25 prevents a longer streak. • Against East Carolina, senior guard Craig Porter Jr. led Wichita State with 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting and added eight rebounds and four assists. Senior forward James Rojas had 19 points on 11-of-14 shooting from the free throw line, grabbed seven rebounds and tied with Porter with four assists while junior guard Jaykwon Walton finished with 13 points and seven rebounds. Sophomore forward Kenny Pohto added 10 points with three assists in the win. • This season, Walton leads the Shockers with 13.3 points per game. Porter is second with 12.5 points per game, but leads Wichita State with 6.2 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.8 blocks and 1.4 steals per game. • Head Coach Isaac Brown he is in his third season at Wichita State and as a collegiate head coach. • Brown built a 42-29 record at Wichita State and during his career. • Brown posted a 1-3 record against Houston during his career. • Brown posted a 1-3 record against Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson during their career, with all four previous meetings occurring during Sampson’s time in Houston. • 1995 graduated from ULM.
SERIES HISTORY vs. WICHITA STATE
• Wichita State maintains an 18-17 lead against Houston in the series, which began during the 1949-50 season. • Thursday’s game is the first of two regular season meetings in 2022-23. The Shockers will visit the Fertitta Center in Houston in the regular season finale on March 2. • Houston have won their last two games and eight of their last nine against the Shockers. Only a 68-63 win over Wichita State in Wichita, Kan. on Feb. 18, 2021 prevents a longer Cougar hitting streak. • This is the fifth consecutive season that the two schools will compete as rivals in the American Athletic Conference. • The teams played at least once a year from 1949-50 through 1960-61 and all but the 1949-50 season as rivals in the Missouri Valley Conference. • The series began with a 72-66 victory in Houston on December 30, 1949.on the road: Wichita State holds a 13-4 series lead against Houston in games played in Wichita, Kan. • The Cougars won their most recent game and have won two of their last three games in Wichita. Only a 68-63 Wichita State at Koch Arena on February 18, 2021 prevents a longer streak in Houston. • In their last road game, the Cougars won 76-74 in double overtime on February 20, 2022.
NEXT
• After Thursday’s game, the Cougars meet Temple at 5:00 pm (CST) Sunday, February 5, inside the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia. That game can be seen on ESPN. • The Cougars look to split the regular series against the Owls on January 22 at the Fertitta Center in Houston. • Houston will then take on Tulsa at 7:00 pm Wednesday, February 8, inside the Fertitta Center in a game played on ESPN+. • The Cougars earned an 89-50 victory over the Golden Hurricane in Tulsa, Oklahoma on December 28 to open the season in the American Athletic Conference. • Houston faces SMU at 6:00 pm Thursday, February 6, inside the Moody Coliseum in Dallas. That game will air on ESPN2. • The Cougars earned an 87-53 victory inside the Fertitta Center in Houston on January 5. • All Houston Men’s Basketball games can be heard at 950 AM KPRC.
SUPPORT THE RISE OF HOUSTON
Take part Houston Rise, a $150 million fundraising campaign for the Houston Athletics dedicated to championship success in the Big 12 Conference. Everything is fine Houston Rise contribution prepares our Cougars to compete and win when we begin Big 12 competition in July 2023. Click here stand up and be counted.
JOIN THE 50-50 CLUB
Fans are invited to join the 50-50 Club in support of Houston men’s basketball. Members of the 50-50 Club help fund program needs and enhance the experience for our student-athletes. Fans who join the 50-50 Club will receive embroidered Jordan Brand team apparel, invitations to exclusive events, regular program updates and more. For more information or to sign up, fans can visit uhcougars.com/5050club or click here. To join the 50-50 Club, fans can call Cougar Pride at 713-743-GoUH (4687).
STAY CONNECTED
Fans can get updates by following @UHCougarMBK on Twitter and keep up with the latest team news and notes by clicking through HOW on the team’s Facebook page at UH CougarMBK or by visiting the team’s Instagram page at UH CougarMBK.
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